Perpetual loose-leaf court-docket.



No. "782,171. PATENTED FEB. v, 1905.

. R.P.PARRY.

PERPETUAL LOOSE LEAF COURT DOGKET.'

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1904.

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Witness gr" No. 782,171. PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905. R. F. PARRY.

PERPETUAL LOOSE LEAF COURT DOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1004.

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Snuaufoz l/v'whwamea M g 4 1 MMfQM UNTTED STATES Patented February '7, 1905.

FF ICEo REES F. PARRY, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,171, dated February '7, 1905,

Application filed September 13, 1904. Serial No. 224,345.

To 10/! whom it 'HL/(J/ concern:

Be it known that I, Rnns F. PARRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Perpetual Loose-Leaf Court-Dockets; and I, do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in perpetual loose-leaf court-docket systems.

The object of the invention is to produce a court-docket which is provided with means whereby the status of each case may be easily ascertained, owing to the simple and eflicient construction of each leaf or sheet of the docket.

A further object of the invention is to improve the construction of a court-docket, which is provided with removable leaves or sheets, each leaf being formed with means for continually indicating the exact condition of a docketed case at each period of the same toward final adjudication.

A still further object of the invention is to provide each leaf of a docket with removable slips of material formed into a tablet. Upon said'slips there'are printed the different forms of procedure to and in a trial in each case.

ll'ith these and other objects in view I also have undercontemplation the production of a court-docket which is provided with loose leaves or sheets, said leaves or sheets to be provided with means for continually indicating the condition of each docketed case before final adjustment and also the assembling with the leaves or sheets of the docket of tabbed division leaves or sheets which are formed for the purpose of indicating the different divisions of the docket and within which the leaves or sheets containing the docketed cases may be positioned, as shown by the tabs on the dividing-leaves, according to their advancement toward linal adjudication.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a plurality of opened leaves or sheets of a docket which are secured between two backs comprising the cover. Fig. is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention, showing two of the leaves or sheets in an opened position similar to those depicted in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a removable leaf or sheet of a docket constructed in accordance with the present invention, to which is secured a plurality of slips of paper which are secured thereon for the purpose of forming an indicatingtablet.

Referring to the drawings by referencw numerals, 1 l designate the two removable backs of the cover, between which are secured the removable leaves or sheets of the docket.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, the leaves or sheets 2 are provided with a heading and ruled and printed court-docket forms, preferably as set forth in the drawings, although slight variations may be made therefrom, as is depicted in Fig. 2, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In Fig. 1 l havoshown printed upon the leaf or shcetQ at the top of the page the words Criminal.. ..docket, and between the words Criminal and Docket there is positioned the detachable leaves 3, upon which are printed the different forms of trial. By the positioning of the slips 3 upon the removable leaves or sheets 2 in the place designated it will be apparent upon referring to Fig. 3 that each slip designates the exact condition of the case set forth on each leaf or sheet, provided the slips are removed at the proper time. 'lhere are a plurality of tabbed dividing-leaves 5 positioned between the backs, which are provided with printed matter upon the tabs or extensions 4, indicating the different forms of trial and designating the exact condition of the cases followingsaid tabbed dividing sheets or leaves. The printed name-slips are to be attached by adhesive material at each of their ends in the form of a tablet. which is positioned in a space in the heading of the docketforms.

Referring to Fig. l, a tab-dividing sheet or leaf 5 is removably positioned within the backs l 1 1 of the cover. The word Criminal is printed upon the tab 6 of sheet or leaf 5. Following the leaf or sheet 5 are the ruled and printed court-docket forms upon leaf or sheet 2, in the heading of which are positioned the slips, the first slip containing the word File for the purpose of filling out the full heading Criminal file docket. After the case has been docketed it is necessary to remove the slip upon which is printed the word File, exposing the next slip to view, the full heading now reading Criminal trial docket. The docket is then ready to go to the court for trial and disposition of the case. This leaf or sheet with the case thereon remains in the docket in its proper place, shown by consecutive number, until the case is finally adjudicated, even though the case remains on the docket for an indefinite period, as there is sufiicient space for a considerable number of orders by the court to be placed thereon.

WVhen the case is finally disposed of, the leaf or sheet is removed from the live or our- 7 C I C L 1 ,7 rent docket toa transfer or disposed of docket, thereby leaving only live or unsettled cases on the live or current docket. By this construction and arrangement of the docket it is always written up and ready for the court at any time.

Formerly by the use of the old docket system, which is now in use, if a case was continued upon each continuance it was necessary for the clerk to transfer or rewrite the case with all of the courts previous orders to another page in his docket, or, in other words,

it was necessary in the ordinary docket for the clerk to redocket all the cases not disposed of to another part of the docket or to another docket for the next term of court. In the present invention the redocketing of a case is obviated, as all of the orders of the court follow consecutively upon the same sheet or leaf and is in the own handwriting of the judge of the court, thereby making it unnecessary to transfer the cases and eliminating any possibility of the transferrer making any errors in transcribing the cases and previous orders on the docket or to any other docket.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that there is provided a plurality of leaves or sheets 7, which are provided with ruled and printed court-docket forms somewhat similar to that contained on sheets 2. While the wording is different upon the leaves or sheets 7, still it will be seen upon referring to Fig. 2 that there is provided a tablet 3, Which comprises a plurality of removable slips, upon which are printed the different forms of trial. These slips are secured near each end to each leaf or sheet 7, preferably by adhesive material, so that the first and each successive slip is retained in a flat position against the leaf or sheet, although I have shown in Fig. 3 the slips turned upward at one of their corners. It will be obvious that any order or orders may be printed upon the slips; but it is preferable to print upon the first slip the word File, so that the leaf or sheet will contain the heading Civil file docket. After the case has been docketed it will be necessary for the purpose of showing the exact condition of each case to remove a slip at each period of advancement of the same.

It will be seen upon referring to Fig. 3 that, owing to the construction depicted therein, as each slip of the tablet 3 is removed there will appear the heading, to wit: Civil appearance docket, Civil non-jury trial docket, and Civil jury trial docket. By removing the name-slips which form the tablet 3, employed in constructing the heading of each form, and shifting the leaf or sheet to its proper place, as indicated by tab-dividing leaves or sheets No. 5, Fig. 1. and No. 5*, Fig.2, the tab No. 4 of the dividing-leaves will show the form of trial to which the court has ordered the case to be tried. These tabbed dividing-leaves No. 5 and No. 5 are important and essential in enabling the court and clerk to readily turn to and ascertain the status of the cases on the dockets and to remain permanently in the docket.

In a docket constructed in accordance with the present invention the removable auxiliary indicating leaves or sheets produce a construction whereby the clerk can file and docket a case with one writing. If the case is continuedfor an indefinite period upon the docket, it will only be necessary for the insertion of continuation leaves or sheets for fees or orders of the court. By this invention all of the transactions in one case are grouped in one place on the docket. All of the courts orders in the case follow consecutively upon the docket on one leaf or leaves. After the case has been filed and the first removable auxiliary sheet or slip of the tab has been removed the heading of the leaf or sheet will appear, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the Civil appearance docket. For the purpose of properly indexing the case it will be necessary to reposition the particular leaf or sheet upon which this form is printed from between the tab leaf or sheet 5 to which is secured the tab 6, to its proper position indicated by the tab leaf or sheet, upon which is printed the word Appearance. As the case advances toward final adjustment it will be necessary to reposition the leaf or sheet upon which the case is found between the respective parts of the book as is designated by the tabbed extensions No. 4 of the dividing leaves or sheets, according to the different periods of advancement of the same.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have produced a perpetual docketing system which comprises a plurality of removable court-docket sheets positioned between a suitable cover, said leaves or sheets separated according to the condition of the case inscribed thereon by tabbed dividingleaves, each case provided with means whereby the exact condition of advancement of the case is readily ascertained by the observer. The leaves of the docket can be quickly and easily positioned or inserted within the cover, and each case is provided with means whereby the heading and tabbed dividing-leaves at all times disclose the condition of advancement of the case without necessitating the rewriting of the same upon court-docket forms without headings and without tabbed dividing-leaves showing the different stages of advancement of the same. The docket-leaves can be easily inserted and removed by the clerk of the court, who alone is to retain the key enabling him to lock and unlock the cover.

\Yhile I have depicted in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specification the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be obvious to one versed in the art to which this invention relates that certain alterations, modifications, and changes may be made, and I therefore reserve the right to make such alterations, modilications, and changes as shall fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

llaving thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. in a perpetual loose leaf court-docket system, the combination of a plurality of leaves or sheets containing ruled and printed courtdocket forms. tabbed dividing leaves or sheets positioned between said form leaves or sheets, and removable means carried by each of the form leaves or sheets for indicating the exact condition of a docketed case at each period of advancement toward final adjudication.

2. A court-docket leaf or sheet provided with a heading having removable indicatingslips.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with separable backs, of removable leaves or sheets having forms ruled and printed thereon interposed between said backs, tabbed dividing leaves or sheets positioned between said backs and dividing the leaves or sheets, a heading formed upon each leaf or sheet comprising h'xed indicating means, and changeable indicating means positioned therebetween.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with an adjustable cover, of a removable docket leaf or sheet positioned therein, having a court-docket form ruled and printed thereon, a heading formed upon said leaf or sheet, comprising words formed upon said leaf or sheet and a detachable auxiliary sheet, said auxiliary sheet covering a word which is readable when the same is detached.

5. A docket-sheet having a ruled and printed form, a heading formed upon said leaf or sheet, an indicating-slip positioned above one of the words of said heading and covering the same, and said slip adapted to be detached and expose the heading formed directly upon the sheet.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cover; of a sheet or leaf provided with a ruled and printed courtdocket form, and a heading including a removable tablet upon the sheet and comprising a plurality of removable slips.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REES F. PARRY.

\Vitnesses:

Ti-ios. S. PLOWMAN, WM. S. Rooms. 

